Juliana the Just
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: One evening after lessons, Cedric recalls a girl from his sorcery school who had quite a few things in common with his own apprentice. (So...surprise! lol I got in a HUGE writing mood and this is the result a few hours later. :) )


Juliana the Just

Summary: One evening after lessons, Cedric recalls a girl from his sorcery school who had quite a few things in common with his own apprentice.

Disclaimer: I only own "Juliana." Everything else belongs to Craig Gerber. :)

A/N: This is a bit different. It'll start off in the current day (for Cedric and Sofia) and most of the rest of the story will be from when Cedric was a young boy at Hexley Hall. Enjoy!

"That'll be all for the day," Cedric declared as he shut his book and stretched. He watched his apprentice as she gathered up her school bag and other items they'd used in their lesson today. He tilted his head. "Sofia, are you all right?"

The girl blinked at him and ceased her movements. "I'm fine, Mr. Cedric. Why do you ask?"

"You just seem a little…quiet tonight." He folded his arms. "Are things all right at school?"

She giggled. "Yeah… I'm just sleepy. It's been a long week."

Cedric knew her better than that and decided that for once, _he'd_ be the one to pry a little bit. "Sofia…"

The princess realized she wasn't going to be let off the hook and sighed. Of course she should have known that she couldn't keep this away from Cedric… By this point, he had learned to read her quite well. "It's just… I'm having a problem. You know how my friends Jade and Ruby aren't royals?"

The sorcerer nodded, clearly remembering this bit of information.

"Well, sometimes it makes me upset that they get left out of a lot of things that I get to do with Amber and James and the rest of the kids I go to school with. I hate leaving them out, because we've been friends since forever, but…" She sighed, putting her head into her hands. "It's just not fair really. I wish there wasn't such a big gap between our statuses."

"Hmm." Cedric pondered her dilemma. "So your issue is being just and fair: not only to your royal friends, but also to your village friends whom you've known since early childhood."

Sofia nodded. "Exactly. For example, we have a party next weekend, and while Amber and James are okay with Jade and Ruby coming, a lot of the other kids at Royal Prep are against it—because it's a _royal_ party… But it's my family's party, too. Shouldn't I have some say in it?"

The sorcerer smiled thoughtfully and chuckled.

"What?" the princess asked, curious as to his reaction.

"It's just that you remind me so much of a girl I went to school with at Hexley Hall. She was a lot like you: came from a village, made friends easily, and always wanted things to be fair for everyone."

Sofia blinked. "What was her name?"

"Juliana the Just—a sorceress in training." He became a bit distant as he seemed to recall information about his former classmate. "There were many wonderful things about Juliana, but…she had a big secret she kept to herself as well. I'm sure you can relate on some level."

Sofia laughed nervously, unconsciously clutching her amulet. "Yeah…on _some_ level." She then smiled. "Will you tell me about Miss Juliana, Mr. Cedric? Maybe then I can figure out what to do."

Cedric waved his wand, creating something of a hologram image of a tanned girl with long braided black hair and violet eyes. "This is Juliana…and our tale begins many years ago…"

"Oh, Cedric!" a much younger Greylock called as he rushed up to the dark-haired sorcerer. They were both about twelve years old now, and they'd just gotten new wands for the new school year. "Wait up."

"I'm surprised you remembered my name, Greylock," young Cedric remarked, a look of surprise on his face. "Usually it's "Bed-Sick,' 'Card-Trick,' or some other stupid distortion of my name…"

"Oh, don't be so glum, huh? I just need one little favor."

The more serious of the two folded his arms. "Why am I not surprised?" He sighed. "What do you want, Greylock?"

"You know Juliana, right?" He grinned, seeing the impatient look on his classmate's face change to one of annoyance. "Right, of course you do. She's your lab partner."

"Get on with it, Greylock."

"Well, I kind of—sort of—wanted to see if you'd ask her if she'd go to the Sorcerer's Ball with me next weekend!"

Cedric frowned. "…Can't you ask her yourself?"

"I _could_ , but my good buddy sees her every day and would probably be more comfortable asking her for me." He grinned.

"We're not 'buddies,' Greylock… We're also not chums, _amigos_ , pals, or friends. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to my chemistry class." He huffed when the brown-haired sorcerer stepped before him, clasping his hands together in a pathetically desperate way.

" _Please_ , Cedric? If you do this, I'll repay you very nicely!" He smiled charmingly, making Cedric pause.

"Fine, but it will cost you." He smirked when the other boy nodded fervently. "Your collection of Hocus Crocus."

"What?!" Hazel eyes widened.

"That's what I thought," Cedric quipped, walking past the other sorcerer. "Forget it."

"N-No! I'll do it." He grinned as he stuck out his hand, shaking Cedric's as he felt a sinking feeling within, once he realized what he was giving up. Then again, if he could get Juliana to go with him to the dance, then it would all be worth it.

"All right then," Cedric agreed, smiling. "I'll see what I can do."

In the chemistry lab, a young girl dressed in a white top and long red skirt sat on a stool and twirled her red wand absently. Her long, black, braided hair fell down to the stool's legs, nearly brushing the floor. An intricate raven-themed necklace rested around her neck. Her violet eyes scanned over the ingredients she'd gathered. Now if only her partner would show up…

"Juliana?"

The dark-haired girl gasped and turned, smiling in relief as she saw who'd startled her. "Hi, Cedric," she said gently as he sat on the stool next to her. "I was waiting for you."

"I'm sorry… Greylock talked my ear off." He giggled, making her do the same. "So! Where do we begin?"

"How about let's start off getting something out of the way first?" She turned around, pointing her wand at the boy. "Tell Greylock I'd be delighted to go with him to the Sorcerer's Ball." She smiled happily as Cedric blinked.

"Y-You know about that?"

"I don't know many other sorcerers who'd leave gag gifts to ask a girl out…" She flicked her wand, producing a previously exploded bag leaking with confetti and a small note that read, ' _We'd have a_ _ **blast**_ _if you'd be my date for the Sorcerer's Ball! –Anonymous'_ She giggled. "He's kind of cute, I guess, but those tricks of his…"

Cedric sighed, brushing his gray bangs from his eyes. "Believe me: I know." He produced his own purple wand and brightened up. "Now then! Onto our experiment?"

Juliana grinned. "Yes!"

Later that day, when the students had gathered in the lunch room, Juliana was walking down the hallway alone. She'd told Cedric and Greylock that she would meet them there.

The girl winced and held a hand to her heart, her eyes closed as she gripped the wall for support while a wave of pain washed over her. She sighed once the aching subsided, and she slowly righted herself so she could walk again. "It's getting worse," she whispered, a lone tear stinging in the corner of her right eye. She wiped it away and shook her head, forcing a smile onto her face. No, there'd be no crying. She had to be strong. She had to be brave. She had to be…Juliana the Just, for however long she had left.

"And so I told Cedric here that the gray in his bangs actually looks better than the _green_ I'd accidentally made them at first," Greylock laughed, causing Juliana to smile in return.

"So this," she began, holding up a few strands of Cedric's hair, "is _your_ doing, Greylock?" She smirked as she released Cedric's hair. "Shouldn't _you_ be the one with gray hair: _Grey-locks_ , perhaps?" She giggled at the look of dismay on the brown-haired boy's face.

"Juliana," he chided lightly, making her laugh harder. "One doesn't simply mess with this beautiful brown perfection upon my head."

Cedric rolled his eyes as he silently ate his sandwich. He wasn't really much of a talker at lunch, because far too many things were on his mind. Never mind that he was one of the few actually _eating_ and therefore had little time to say much.

The trio turned when they heard a thud and a startled cry come from nearby.

A young blonde boy, perhaps all of six years old, had fallen backwards after running into a much taller student. He was attempting to gather his tray, but the older student, looking to be about fourteen years old, had kicked it out of the way in apparent aggravation.

"I-I'm sorry!" the younger boy declared with a tremble to his voice.

The older boy folded his arms, glaring daggers at the little one. "Should have thought of that before you plowed into me, you little twerp." He wielded a brown wand, aiming it at the child.

Juliana gasped and rushed between the boys. "Winston, stop!" she demanded, her violet eyes boring into the blue ones before her.

Winston, huffing and shoving his wand back into his robe, glared at the girl. "Always got to save the day, don't you, Juliana?" He sneered at her. "Why don't you mind your own business?"

"Because this little boy didn't do anything to you on purpose. He said he was sorry. So why don't you accept his apology and move along?" She knelt beside the blonde boy and helped him to his feet as Winston scoffed and stalked away. "Are you all right?"

The blonde nodded, his loose curls bouncing around his head.

She giggled. "What's your name?"

"I'm Edmond Waylon Guiles, III. My friends call me Waylie."

"Well, Waylie, my name is Juliana." She gestured toward the table where Cedric and Greylock remained, watching her in surprise. "Would you like to join my friends and me for lunch?"

"Gee, thanks, Juliana! Sure!" He smiled happily as he was led over to the table.

"Boys, this is my new friend, Waylie. He'll be eating lunch with us today."

"Hi, kid," Greylock greeted with a grin. "I'm Greylock. The quiet loner over here is Cedric."

"I'm _not_ a loner," Cedric corrected. "I just like to be alone."

Juliana laughed, nudging him. "That's…technically a loner, Cedric."

"Whatever you say."

"So you, Miss Juliana, and Mr. Greylock made friends with the little boy?" Sofia asked, clarifying his story so far.

"You could say that," Cedric agreed. "Actually, Waylie was more Juliana's friend than mine or Greylock's. But the point is, she lived up to her name: Juliana the _Just_. She made sure things were fair for everyone, no matter how big or small, rich or poor, good or bad… She saw everyone the same way."

"I see," the princess murmured with a grin. "So is she still like that today?"

Cedric's face fell momentarily before he cleared his throat. "Um…well, this is where things get a bit…complicated."

Greylock tugged at his oversized and multicolored bowtie before adjusting his monocle. He glanced toward Cedric, who was in his typical Hexley Hall uniform instead of being dressed up for the Sorcerer's Ball. "How do I look?"

Cedric blinked and eyed his classmate. Aside from the goofy bow, he had on black slacks and a gold and orange vest. He shrugged. "You look like Greylock to me…except with a huge bow." He smirked.

"Hey! This bow gives me character, and Juliana happens to _like_ it, I'll have you know." He grinned.

"Where is she, anyway?" The other sorcerer looked around the dance hall curiously before looking back at his friend. "You don't suppose she forgot, do you?"

"Juliana forget? I doubt it." Greylock shrugged. "Maybe she's just running late. A lot of girls do that." He chuckled.

"I know. My father complains about my mother and sister all the time."

Greylock smirked but then gasped as he felt a hand touch his arm. He turned around, and his breath caught in his throat. "J-Juliana…"

The girl in question smiled. She now wore a simple white dress for the occasion, and her usually braided hair was now free to stream to her knees. "Hi, Greylock. Hey, Cedric."

Cedric smiled at her before laughing at Greylock's stunned look. "Perhaps you should dress like this more often, Juliana. Maybe then we'd get some more peace and quiet."

Greylock blushed. "Shut up!" He quickly changed his tune and he smiled bashfully at his friend. "You look lovely."

She giggled. "Thank you… Would you like to dance?"

"Y-Yes?" He paused before whispering to Cedric, "I don't know how to _dance_!"

"It's easy," Cedric replied in a strained whisper, his grin never leaving his face. "Just pretend like it's that time when I accidentally dropped a crab down your pants."

The brown-haired sorcerer glared at Cedric. "That was no _accident_ , and you know it!"

"You're right. It's called revenge…for the numerous pranks you'd played on _me_." He pushed him forward. "Now go on! There isn't much time left for the dance."

Greylock sighed and took Juliana's hand, leading her to the dance floor. He nervously gulped as she took charge and situated their hands as they needed to go. "I'm afraid I don't do much dancing."

"That's okay," she whispered with a knowing smile. "I do."

Things had been going relatively well for a while. Cedric had found some fly cakes to snack on while he read his new spell book. And Greylock had gotten the hang of dancing, so much so that he'd even gotten up the nerve to twirl his partner a few times.

"Whoa!" Juliana laughed as Greylock caught her on her second turn. "You've gotten really good, Greylock!"

"Thanks to you," he gushed, grinning. "Um, Juliana, I have a…question I'd like to ask you."

She nodded before freezing, her hand immediately going to her heart. "I… Could you wait just a minute, Greylock? I need…some fresh air…" She didn't wait for a response as she stumbled by the other students, slowly but surely making her way outside.

Greylock frowned. "What's wrong with her?" He glanced toward Cedric, who'd looked up from his book long enough to exchange glances with him. "What do I do?"

"Um, go after her perhaps?" the other boy suggested sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Right!" Greylock quickly followed after Juliana, only to find her leaning against a stone wall, her hand still clutched over her heart and her breathing shallow. "Juliana?"

The girl turned, her violet eyes locking with his. "I… I'm sorry. I…"

"It's okay. I should have realized you weren't feeling well. Maybe you just need some rest…"

She smiled sadly, shaking her head. Her breathing had calmed and her symptoms had subsided. "I'm afraid…rest won't be enough to help me, Greylock." She bit her lip as he frowned in concern. She took in a shaky breath before admitting softly, "I'm dying…"

The brunette's blood ran cold at that moment. Goosebumps appeared on his skin, and he suddenly found it hard to breathe. "Wh-What?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this. I wish it weren't true, but…"

"H-How long until y-you…?" He couldn't bring himself to finish the question. He felt like he'd been hit, and hard at that.

"Less than a year." She lowered her head, her hair falling over her shoulders. "I'm not supposed to be sad. I've known about it for a while… And I want to do good for other people before I go. That's why I was thrilled when our professors named me 'Juliana the Just.' It gave me a sense of purpose, Greylock…" She looked up, serene smile on her face. "And I want always to be Juliana the Just…the one who helps others when she can, even when she can't help herself."

Greylock hadn't said a word. He stepped up to her, hesitantly reached out, and gently enveloped her in an embrace. A sob racked through his body, and he gripped her shoulders as the weight of reality crashed down upon him. He was going to lose her.

"Shh, it's okay," Juliana whispered, returning his hug and gently rubbing his back. She was still the strong one, it seemed, even when faced with the harsh reality. She released him from their hug momentarily, only to take his hands and lean toward him, resting her forehead against his. "I'll always be with you." She smiled as he locked eyes with her. "Always."

On a calm spring day a few months later, Juliana danced one last time before leaving the world behind.

Sofia was distraught now. "Mr. Cedric, this is a _terrible_ story!" She pouted, folding her arms.

"Are you kidding? This is a wonderful story!" He waved one hand in a grand gesture. "Juliana lived her life like no other ever did. She truly did care for people, and because of her, no one ever felt alone or rejected in her presence. She treated others with respect, just like you do, my dear. In a way, you're every bit as good as Juliana the Just."

The princess sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "I guess… But why did she have to die?"

Cedric sighed. "Ironically enough…she had a bad heart. No one could do anything for her, even though many had tried. Losing Juliana took a toll on all of us, especially Greylock. But over the years, he's come to terms with what happened to her, and he's gotten better. Clearly, he'll never be _over_ losing Juliana, but as you and I both know, Sofia, hearts heal with time."

She smiled and nodded. "I know, Mr. Cedric… So what you're saying is…I need to do the JUST and FAIR thing and invite Jade and Ruby to the party anyway."

"I didn't say that."

The princess giggled. "You didn't have to." She hopped down from her stool and hugged her mentor. "Thanks, Mr. Cedric. I have one request, though."

He smirked. "What's that?"

"Next time you teach me a lesson through a story, could you pick a _happy_ one?"

He chuckled. "I promise." He playfully ruffled her hair, surprising her but eliciting a small giggle from her as they bid their farewells for the night. Once he saw that Sofia had left, Cedric sighed. He looked up at the hologram of the girl from his story and smiled thoughtfully. "Thank you, Juliana… Thank you very much."

The end

A/N: Eh…yeah. :D I think I always knew this story was going to be somewhat emotional on some level, but in my original notes, Juliana didn't _die_ … But I watched one of my favorite movies _Kal Ho Naa Ho_ and changed my mind. It added something to the story for me, even if others don't see it… Sorry it was so emotional! Lol. Okay, I'm off for the evening/weekend. Later, all! ~AquaTurquoise


End file.
